Labor statistics indicate that physician assistants' salaries may increase as demand for their services grows at hospitals throughout the U.S. Industry data show that physician assistants who work in hospital emergency rooms may earn some of the highest salaries for their profession when compared with typical wages for the occupation.
Function
Physician assistants document patients' medical histories, and examine and treat patients under a physician's supervision. Assistants also interpret results of laboratory tests and X-rays. Emergency medicine is just one of several areas in which assistants may choose to specialize. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show the mean annual wage for physician assistants overall in 2010 was $87,140. However, the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants (SEMPA) indicates that a 2009 survey of more than 1,000 assistants shows that most emergency medicine assistants earn more than $90,000 annually.
Top-Paying States
SEMPA indicates that about 49 percent of 1,026 survey respondents reported earning at least $100,000 annually in emergency medicine. Nearly 24 percent reported earning $90,000 to $99,000 per year in that specialty. Assistants may have no trouble earning such high salaries in Washington and Wyoming, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists among the top-paying states for physician assistants. Bureau data show Washington assistants earned a mean annual wage of $98,620 in 2010. Wyoming assistants earned a mean annual salary of $97,890 that year.
Employment Levels
About 28 percent of 1,026 respondents included in the SEMPA survey reported earning less than $89,000 per year in emergency medicine. Emergency assistants who are looking for higher-paying positions may have the best job opportunities in California and New York, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites among states with the highest employment levels for physician assistants. Just over 9,400 assistants worked in California in 2010, and they earned a mean annual salary of $93,660. New York employed just over 9,200 assistants that year, and they earned a mean annual wage of $90,760.
Employment Growth
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a high rate of job growth for physician assistants through 2018. More than 29,000 new jobs may be available as the employment of assistants grows 39 percent through that year. The bureau expects more health-care providers to employ physician assistants as states continue to expand regulations that allow assistants to perform more procedures. The bureau also notes that wages for assistants in emergency medicine and all specialties increase as assistants gain knowledge and experience performing various medical procedures.
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